Machine for peeling potatoes, apples, and the like



Feb. 19, 1929.

P. BORER MACHINE FOR FEELING PO'I'IOES,v APPLIES,

AND THE LIKE Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

PAUL BORER, OF DELEMET, SWITZERLAND.

MACHINE FOR FEELING PTATOES, APPLES, AN D THE LIKE.

Application led January 6, 1927, Serial No.

rIhis invention relates to a machine for peeling potatoes, apples and the like, which is characterized by the object to be peeled being carried by a circulating transport mem.- ber to a series of peeling tools,which are so arranged and formed that during the passage ofthe object each one operates on a particular segment of the surface thereof and they thus peel 'the object section by section.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an example embodying the invention, for-peeling potatoes for example. y

Figure 1 is a vertical section and Figure 2 a horizontal section, of the machine.-

Figure 3 is a diagram of the working sequence of the various knife sets, while Figures 4 to 7 show details.

On the machine framing is a hopper 1 for feeding the potatoes one at a time, beneath which is an annular table or ring 2 rotatable about a fixed spindle 2a and furnished with toothed plates 3. A pin 1a is provided on the ring 2 adjacent to each plate 3. At the bottom of the hopper 1 is a self-closing disc 1l which carries an opening pin projecting down into the path of the pins la. The closing disc 1b is rotatable on .a pin 1d on which is mounied a torsional closing spring 1e (Figure 1 In order to rotate the ring 2 it is provided on its under side with a toothed crown 4 with which meshes the wheel 5 of a driving gear 6 driven by a motor or a crank.

On the stationary spindle 2.L are secured a number of arm carriers 7, 8, 9, 10. The arms of these carriers are constructed to hold knife blades 11 sprung as lightly as possible, which are arranged in two rows on each arm, with the cutting edges 11"L vof the rear row of blades v11 covering the gaps in the front blade row. The rows of knife blades on each arm are so formed in length and in the shape of the cutting .edges that they are adapted to one part of the surface of the objects to be peeled. Figure 5 shows the rela# tion of the blades to one another; for simplicity the cutting parts 11 are omitted. The row of knife blades form to a certain extent a single combined knife consisting of single elements, which owing to these single elements can adapt itself as well as possible to unevenness in the object being peeled, so that the part of the surface of the object operated on by it can be peeled in correspondence with its convexity. These combined peeling knives 159,428, and in Switzerland January 19, 1926.

are divided into groups and arranged in different directions within the individual groups. Thus for example the first three groups I, II, kIII each have four combined peeling knives, a, c, nl, in which groups the knives a are inclined upwards, the knives b horizontally, the knives c inclined downwards and the knives d vertically downwardly directed towards the table ring 2, as can be seen in Figure 1, so as to constitutey within each group several differently directed knives, but all converging substantially to the same working place and each of which consists of the aforesaid peeling blades. In Figure '1, the combined knives b, c are shown as meeting with the combined knives a and cl. These three knife groups arev followed in the direction of rotation of the plate rin 2 by a vsiiigle combined peeling knife I There then follow again three groups V, VI, VII, each of three combined knives e, f, g, and finally a single combined 4knife VIII. The groups V, VI, VII differ from I, II and III in that they have no vertically suspended i* combined peeling knives. In the groups themselves the combined knives do not come into action together, but after one another in accordance with the angular disposition around the spindle 2 (see Figure 2). Each r knife, however, is designed always to operate on a specific part ofthe surface of the potatoes.

On the housing wall in the space between the knife groups I and II, II and III, IV and V, V and VI, VI and VII, is a pin 12b and opposite the groups lIV and VIII respectively a toothed member 12 and 12, with which the toothing of the plates 3 can come into mesh during the rotation of the plate ring 2, in order to be rotated on their axes. The plates 3are provided with upstanding pointed prongs to hold the potatoes to be peeled.

In order to remove the peeled potatoes from the plates 3, at one point on the path of the plate ring 2 is provided a removing device, which has two fixed discs 13 bearing a rotatable shaft 14 on which are mounted two cross arms 15. On the discs 13 are lifting ramps 13a. `In addition slots l13b are proa vided in these discs at the place where there are no lifting ramps. The arms 15 serve to convey forks 16 which under the action of springs continually bear against the discs 13 or the ramps 13*1 thereon. v'Ih'e rotation of the shaft 14 with the arms 15 is -so timed in relation to the rotation of the plate ring 2 that at the instant when a potato arrives on the plate 3 between the forks 16, these'run olf the ramps 132L of the disc 13, impale the potato, and since the potato is no w held by the forks 16, which move further in the direction of the arrow a, on furt-her rotation of the shaft lil, the potato is drawn ofiA Ythe ilirongs of the plate 3 and raised, while the plate relieved of the potato passes forward in the direction of the arrow l/Vhile the potato traversing the above described path, it ene a supplementary combined knife lX (Figure Ll) the purpose of which is to peel that lower part of the potato which has up to then been protected from the other knives, owing to the potato having been impaled on the prongs of the plate 3. After this the forks 16 run on to the inclines of the ramps 13 and are drawn out of the potato and thus allow it to fall into a run olf pipe 18.

The method of operation is as follows: 'lhe closing disc 1b of the hopper 1 is periodically opened through the pin 1c by the pins 1fL on the rotating plate ring 2, and allows a potato to fall each time it is opened. rlhis impa'les itself on the prongs of the plate 3 beneath. The plate ring 2 then carries it to the knife group l; here it is peeled on Zones of its surface by the knives l and a vertically from above and obliquely from below, then by the knife c obliquelv from above and by the knife Y) horizontally from the side. In order that this and the subsequent peeling operation may be more rapidly explained and readily understood reference is directed to Figure 3, in which the individual sections of the surface of the potato are indicated by the same references as the knives of the groups I, Il, HI oper-ating thereon; the zones a, b, c, d lying on the left in Figure 3 have thus been operated by the knife group I. The potato impaled on the plate 3, and already operated on by the knife group l then comes to the first pin 12b (reckoning in the direction of rotation) in consequence of the engagement of the pin with the plate toothing during the passing of the plate the latter undergoes a slight amount of rotation so that the potato presents a new part of its surface for peeling by the knife group II. lhen the plate arrives at the next pin 12b it again undergoes a slight amount of rotation in order to present a further surface part for peeling by the knife group lll. The potato is thus peeled on one long side and the top in the segments indicated by a, l), c, d in Figure 3. rlhe plate with the potato peeled so far now arrives at the toothed member 12 and is here rotated by a larger amount which completes a half revelution. During this rotation the potato is peeled by the knife 1V on one end. rl`he knives in groups 'K7-VH then come into action, and. with the partial rotations of the potato peel the other long side in zones similarly to the first side as described above. rlhe plate finally arrives at the toothed member 12a and undergoes again a larger amount of rotation, so that the knife VIH peels the other end of the potato. rlhe potato is then only unpeeled on the underside. The plate ring 2 now carries the almost completely peeled potato to f the removing device, which removes it from the plate prongs as described above, carries it past the supplementary knife X for completion of the peeling and delivers it completely peeled to the run off pipe 1S when the forks 16 are withdrawn. The described pro cedure naturally applies to all the plates on the table ring 2, which always carry a potato except during` the time when each plate ai'- rives under the hopper 1 and this is opened to release a potato. The plates are only empty over a short part of the circuit. rlhe machine therefore has a high output.

lt will be understood that the hopper 1 is so formed that the potatoes as far as possible fall in the correct position on the plates 3 for the described method of operation, though divergences therefrom in position of the potatoes makes very little difference, since the only edect is not quite such good peeling. Further, the plates are made hard of rotation on their aries, in order that no undesired rotary movement of the plates will take place during peeling itself.

llVhat l claim is 1. ln a machine for peeling potatoes, apples and the like, the combination of a plurality of groups of stationary knives arranged, within each group, to converge substantially to the same working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable carriers thereon to carry the object to be peeled, a driving mechanism to rotate said transport member so as to bring the object to be peeled successively into the working range of said knife groups, and p0- sitioning means to intermittently rotate said carriers for the purpose of presenting the surface of the object section by section to peeling.

2. 'In ar machine for peeling potatoes, apples and the like, the combination of a vertical stationary spindle, a plurality of groups of stationary knives carried by said spindle in angular displacement to'one another so as to converge, within each group, substantially to the same working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable carriers thereon to carry the object to be peeled, a driving mechanism to rotate said transport member around said spindle so as to bring the object to be peeled successively into the working range of said knife groups, and positioning means to intermittently rotate said carriers for the purpose of presenting the surface. of the object section by section to peeling.

3. In a machine for peeling potatoes, apples and the like, the combination of a vertical stationary spindle, a plurality of groups of stationary flexible blade knives carried by said spindle in angular displacement to one another so as to converge, Within each group, substantially to the same Working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable carriers thereon to carry the object to be peeled, a driving mechanism to rotate said transport member around said spindle so as to bring the object to be peeled successively into the Working range of said knife groups, and position ing means to intermittently rotate said carriers for the purpose of presenting the surface of the object section by section to peeling.

4. In a machine for peeling potatoes,

y apples and the like, the combination of a plurality of groups of stationary knives arranged to converge, Within each group, substantially to the same Working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable plates thereon provided With prongs to hol-d the obj ect to be peeled, a driving mechanism to rotate said transport member so as to bring the-object to be peeled successively into the Working range of said knife groups, and positioning means to intermittently rotate said holding plates for the purpose of presenting the surface of the object section by section to peeling.

5. In a machine for peeling potatoes, apples and the like, the combination of a plun rality of groups of stationary knives arranged to converge, Within each group, substantially to the same Working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable carriers thereon to carry the object to be peeled, a driving mechanism to rotate said transport member so as to bring the object to be peeled successively into the Working range of said knife groups, position ing means to intermittently rotate said carriers for the purpose of presenting the surface of the obj ectv section by section to peeling, and an automatic device for removing and delivering the object thus peeled.

6. In a machine for peeling potatoes, ap les andthe like, the combination of a plura .ity ofgroups ofstationaryknives arranged to converge, Within each group, substantially to the same Working place, a rotary transport member, rotatable carriers thereon to carry the object to be peeled, a -driving mechanism to rotate Vsaid transport member so as to bring the object to be peeled successively into the Working range of said knife groups, positioning means to intermittently rotate said carriers for the purpose of presenting the surface of the object section by section to peeling, rotatable removing forks arranged to grip the object when peeled and to remove it from its carrier, and a supplementary knife so arranged as to peel, after said removal, that part of the object which rWas turned to its carrier.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 27 th day of December, 1926.

. PAUL BORER. 

